2022
Art & Photography: Bison: Portrait of an Icon by Audrey Hall and Chase Reynolds Ewald
Children’s Book: Dear Peter, Dear Ulla by Barbara Nickel
Creative Nonfiction: The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struglle to Save an American Neighborhood by Julian Rubinstein
Fiction: And It Will Be a Beautiful Life by Craig Lancaster
First Book: Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice by Katherine Wiltenburg Todrys
Indigenous Writer: 20.12m: A Short Story Collection of a Live Lived as a Road Allowance Metis by Arnolda Dufour Bowes
Medicine and Science: Wild Rescues: A Paramedic’s Extreme Adventures in Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton by Kevin Grange
Nonfiction: A History of Montana in 101 Objects by Kirby Lambert, Tom Ferris, and the Montana Historical Society
Poetry: The Track the Whales Make by Marjorie Saiser
Short Stories: Site Fidelity by Claire Boyles
Woman Writer: The Stone Sister by Caroline Patterson
Young Adult: Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Big Sky Award: A History of Montana in 101 Objects by Kirby Lambert, Tom Ferris, and the Montana Historical Society
2021
Art & Photography: A Corner of Space and Time: Lee Nye’s Eddie’s Club Portraits by Jean Belangie-Nye, Aaron Teasdale, and Benjamin Ferencz
Children’s Book: On a Good Horse by Darby Karchut
Creative Nonfiction: Black Water: Family, Legacy, and Blood Memory by David A. Robertson
Fiction: Ruthie Fear by Maxim Loskutoff
First Book: The Response of Weeds by Bertrand Bickersteth
Indigenous Writer: Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Medicine and Science: Roadside Geology of Montana by Donald W. Hyndman & Robert C. Thomas
Nonfiction: The Grizzly in the Driveway by Rob Chaney
Poetry: Ghosts Still Linger by Kat Cameron
Short Stories: If Sylvie Had Nine Lives by Leona Theis
Woman Writer: The Historians by Cecilia Ekbäck
Young Adult: Opulence, Kansas by Julie Stielstra
Big Sky Award: Shakespeare in Montana: Big Sky Country’s Love Affair with the World’s Most Famous Writer by Gretchen E. Minton
2020
Art & Photography – Victor Cicansky: The Gardener’s Universe/L’Univers d’un Jardinier, Timothy Long and Julia Krueger, editors
Big Sky Award – Voices Of Yellowstone’s Capstone, Traute N. Parrie and Jesse A. Logan, editors
Children’s Book – Howl: A New Look at the Big Bad Wolf, by Ted Rechlin
Creative Nonfiction – Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country, by Pam Houston
Fiction – Fall Back Down When I Die, by Joe Wilkins
First Book – Reckless Steps Toward Sanity: A Memoir, by Judith Sara Gelt
Indigenous Writer – From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, by Jesse Thistle
Medicine & Science – Six Hundred Generations: an Archaeological History of Montana, by Carl M. Davis
Nonfiction – Lakota America: A New History of Indigenous Power, by Pekka Hamalainen
Poetry – Wilderness//Kingdom, by Jory Mickelson
Short Stories – Winning Chance, by Katherine Koller
Woman Writer – River People, by Margaret Lukas
Young Adult – Cold White Sun, by Sue Farrell Holler
2019
Art & Photography – Albert Bierstadt: Witness to a Changing West – Dr. Peter H. Hassrick et al
Big Sky Award – Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life – David Quammen
Children’s Book – Double! Not Half – Rodney Gottula
Creative Nonfiction – Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption – Susan Devan Harness
Fiction – The Flicker of Old Dreams – Susan Henderson
First Book – One-Sentence Journal: Short Poems and Essays From The World At Large – Chris La Tray
Indigenous Writer – Bitterroot: A Salish Memoir of Transracial Adoption – Susan Devan Harness
Medicine & Science – Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life – David Quammen
Nonfiction – An African In Imperial London: The Indomitable Life of A. B. C. Merriman-Labor – Danell Jones
Poetry – View from True North – Sara Henning
Short Stories (tie) – Cloudbursts: Collected and New Stories – Thomas McGuane
Short Stories (tie) – Come West and See: Stories – Maxim Loskutoff
Woman Writer – The Flicker of Old Dreams – Susan Henderson
Young Adult – Sadia – Colleen Nelson
2018
Art & Photography – Theodore Waddell: My Montana – Rick Newby
Children’s Book – What I Saw in Glacier – Ellen Horowitz
Creative Nonfiction – A Darkness Lit by Heroes: The Granite Mountain- Speculator Mine Disaster of 1917 – Doug Ammons
Fiction – Days Without End – Sebastian Barry
First Book – Bad Kansas – Becky Mandelbaum
Indigenous Writer – Strangers: Book 1, The Reckoner Trilogy – David A. Robertson,
Medicine & Science – The Patch: The People, Pipelines, and Politics of the Oil Sands – Chris Turner
Nonfiction – Wonderlandscape: Yellowstone National Park and the Evolution of an American Cultural Icon – John Clayton
Poetry – Throwing the Diamond Hitch – Emily Ursuliak
Short Stories – Maple & Lead – Aaron Parrett
Woman Writer – The Last Chance Ladies’ Book Club – Marlis Wesseler
Young Adult – Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival – Matthew P. Mayo
2017
Art & Photography – Frederic Remington: A Catalogue Raissonne II – Peter Hassrick
Children’s Book – Runs With Courage – Joan Wolf
Creative Nonfiction – Temperance Creek – Pamela Royes
Fiction – The Bones of Paradise – Jonis Agee
First Book – Hurt People – Cote Smith
Indigenous Writer – Burning in This Midnight Dream – Louise Halfe
Medicine & Science – Hopping Ahead of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science and Survival – Sneed B. Collard III
Nonfiction – The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero – Timothy Egan
Poetry – Poems Across the Big Sky II – Lowell Jaeger, editor
Short Stories – For a Little While – Rick Bass
Woman Writer – Mortal Fall – Christine Carbo
Young Adult – The Pain Eater – Beth Goobie
2016
Art & Photography – Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek – Thomas D. Mangelsen & Todd Wilkinson
Children’s Book – Cub’s Journey Home – Georgia Graham
Creative Nonfiction – Canoeing the Great Plains: A Missouri River Summer – Patrick Dobson
Fiction – Madder Carmine – Tyler Enfield
First Book – The Actor – Beth Hunter McHugh
Medicine & Science – Glacier National Park After Dark – John Ashley
Nonfiction – Colorado: A Historical Atlas – Thomas J. Noel
Poetry – Red Canyon Falling on Churches – Juliana Aragon Fatula
Short Stories – Far Enough: A Western in Fragments – Joe Wilkins
Woman Writer – Wolf Winter – Cecelia Ekback
Young Adult – Am I the Only One? Struggling Being a Teen – Treena Wynes
2015
Art & Photography – Charles M. Russell: Photographing the Legend – Larry Len Peterson
Children’s Book – Back to Batoche – Cheryl Chad
Culinary – A Taste of Montana: Favorite Recipes from Big Sky Country – Seabring Davis
Fiction – Stars Go Blue – Laura Pritchett
First Book – Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West – Bryce Andrews
Nonfiction – Badluck Way: A Year on the Ragged Edge of the West – Bryce Andrews
Poetry – Balefire – Shann Ray
Short Stories – The Widow Smalls and Other Stories – Jamie Lisa Forbes
Woman Writer – The Home Place – Carrie La Seur
Young Adult – Camp Outlook – Brenda Baker
2014
Art & Photography – Karl Bodmer’s America Revisited: Landscape Views Over Time – W. R. Wood & R. M. Lindholm
Children’s Book – Baba’s Babushka: A Magical Ukrainian Wedding – Marion Mutala
Fiction – Let Him Go – Larry Watson
First Book – Montana – Gwen Florio
Medicine & Science – In the Shadow of the Sabertooth: A Renegade Naturalist Considers Global Warming, the First Americans and the Terrible Beasts of the Pleistocene – Doug Peacock
Nonfiction – Rough Breaks: A Wyoming High Country Memoir – Laurie Wagner Buyer
Poetry – Grey Dog Big Sky – Sheryl Noethe
Short Stories – Cowboys and East Indians – Nina McConigley
Woman Writer – Clearwater – Kim McCullough
Young Adult – Black Helicopters – Blythe Woolston
2013
Art & Photography – Montana: Real Place, Real People – Alan S. Kesselheim & Thomas Lee
Culinary – Foodshed: An Edible Alberta Alphabet – Dee Hobsbawn-Smith
Fiction – The Round House – Louise Erdrich
First Book – The Anatomy of Edouard Beaupre – Sarah Kathryn York
Nonfiction – Deliverance From the Little Big Horn – Joan Nabseth Stevenson
Poetry – Notes From the Journey Westward – Joe Wilkins
Short Stories – What You Get At Home – Dora Dueck
Woman Writer – The Miseducation of Cameron Post – Emily M. Danforth
Young Adult – The Miseducation of Cameron Post – Emily M. Danforth
2012
Emeritus – Thomas McGuane
Art & Photography – Arapaho Journeys: Photographs and Stories from the Wind River Reservation – Sara Wiles
Fiction – The Ringer – Jenny Shank
First Book – American Masculine – Shann Ray
Nonfiction – Hand Raised: The Barns of Montana – Chere Jiusto & Christine W. Brown
Poetry – Songs of Unreason – Jim Harrison
Short Stories – American Masculine – Shann Ray
Woman Writer – Married Into It – Patricia Frolander
2011
Emeritus – Larry Woiwode
Art & Photography – Visions of the Big Sky – Dan Flores
Fiction – Ghosts of Wyoming – Alyson Hagy
First Book – Bound Like Grass: A Memoir From the Western High Plains – Ruth McLaughlin
Nonfiction – Bloodshed at Little Bighorn: Sitting Bull, Custer, and the Destinies of Nations – Tim Lehman
Poetry – Horse Tracks – Henry Real Bird
Woman Writer – Goodbye Wifes and Daughters – Susan Kushner Resnick
2010
Emeritus – Margaret Coel
Fiction – Twisted Tree – Kent Meyers
First Book – 600 Hours of Edward – Craig Lancaster
Nonfiction – Lanterns on the Prairie: The Blackfeet Photographs of Walter McClintock – Steven L. Grafe, Editor
Poetry – Holding Everything Down – William Notter
Woman Writer – No Place Like Home – Linda Hasselstrom
2009
Emeritus – Louise Erdrich
Fiction – So Brave, Young and Handsome – Leif Enger
First Book – Horses That Buck: The Story of Champion Bronc Rider Bill Smith – Margot Kahn
Nonfiction – In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein – Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham
Poetry – Made Flesh – Craig Arnold
Woman Writer – Road Map to Holland – Jennifer Graf Groneberg
2008
Emeritus – Gary Ferguson
Fiction – A Feast of Longing – Sarah Klassen
First Book – Migration Patterns: Stories – Gary Schanbacher
Nonfiction – Charles M. Russell: A Catalogue Raisonné – B. Byron Price, Editor
2007
Emeritus – Larry Watson
Book of the Year – Indians And Emigrants: Encounters on the Overland Trails – Michael L. Tate
Best New Book – Jay Cooke’s gamble : the Northern Pacific Railroad, the Sioux, and the Panic of 1873 – M. John Lubetkin
